New nurse, home health, stressed/depressed

[linnie94]

Hello, all... I really just need to rant and would also like some advice. But to give everyone a little background... I am a brand new nurse, I graduated with my associates degree in May 2015 and passed the NCLEX on my first try in June. The only nursing job that I managed to get was in home health, in January. Right now I am also taking online classes for my Bachelors Degree, and I hope to complete that by August. I realize that home health is typically not a great place for a new nurse with no experience, but I have been working here for almost 6 months now and have been doing well. I never go out to certain patients without another nurse if I expect a skill I haven't done before, and if I ever feel like something is off I contact the nurses at the office right away and they guide me through it. People are coming home from the hospitals still sick, and there have been times where I go out to do an admission and have to send the patient straight back to the ER.

HOWEVER, the biggest thing that is stressing me out right now is the fact that I ALWAYS have to take work home with me. On top of all the documentation, I found myself getting calls or texts from work or patients when I'm halfway out of the shower, at my goddaughter's first birthday party, 10pm at night, or at church. It's stressful enough just being a new nurse, plus being a new nurse in HOME HEALTH... I feel like I can't get any time to fully relax without work looming over me! I am aware that hospital nursing is a whole different realm and pace than home health, but I would very much prefer a hospital job where I can worry and stress all in one place, pass the baton to the next shift, have peace KNOWING that there IS a next shift taking care of the patient, and just go home and leave work at work.

That being said, I'm now worried that it'll still be difficult to get a hospital job because I'm now an old grad and have no acute-care experience. I took the home health job because I figured it's better than no experience at all, and I needed the money at the time. (Plus the idea of flexible schedules appealed to me... not anymore!) What places would you suggest I try applying to? Are clinics considered acute-care? I'm in the Houston area. Any encouragement and advice is very much appreciated!

[Libby1987]

I surprised you're doing as well as you are being a new grad. With only 6 mos in, you have the potential to get a handle on the documentation and boundaries. Not everyone can master the documentation and time mgmt, and they have to make a decision with their career, I'd say this early in you still have a lot of room to grow and improve and it could work out well for you.

Read threads re Med Surg/LTC and all of the hours worked over in order to complete charting, on top of feeling like you missed things. All areas of nursing require you to stick with it long enough to build your skill set.

[linnie94]

I realize that time management skills improve with time. And I do actually enjoy meeting patients in their homes. However, I do ultimately still wish to work in a hospital. I do not like coming home thinking I am done for the day, only to be called out to see another patient 20 miles or more away from me in the evening. (We are quite understaffed at my agency, I am one of the two RNs that are willing to work with infusion patients). I actually do say "no" a lot; I am not afraid to do that. But there are times when I feel like I can't because the patient was already accepted by the agency and no one else is available to do it. Even if I only see a few patients a day, a huge bulk of my day is spent driving. Which honestly, I feel like I could be doing something much more productive.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Home health should NOT require 24/7 accountability. You are working for a chincy agency.

Continue your search, you will soon have one year experience with chinchy agency. That should open some doors for you.

Continue to apply .. something will open up.

Best of luck, let us know how it's going.

[NightNerd, MSN, RN]

You may be surprised what one year of experience can do for you. Stick it out as long as you can (sounds like it stinks! I don't blame you for wanting out), and keep your eyes open for new opportunities. Find out about the specialties you're applying for, and more the similarities between that job and what you do now. Similar patient populations? Similar skills that you'll use every day? Spell all of that out in your cover letter when you apply and make it easy for the recruiter and manager to see you transitioning smoothly into the role. Good luck!